ROK Drop Christmas Open Thread – December 25, 2014
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, happy holidays, or a great day off depending on how you celebrate this time of the year.
Image of Shin Se-kyung via Vivien.
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, happy holidays, or a great day off depending on how you celebrate this time of the year.
Image of Shin Se-kyung via Vivien.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Just noticed USFK’s and South Korean employees’ favorite security firm G4S made the news on CNN, lol.
Cash grab in Hong Kong as millions in banknotes spill from security van:
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/25/world/asia/hong-kong-millions-cash-grab/index.html?hpt=hp_c2
Merry Christmas, everyone! 🙂
My oldest son just showed me this video, thought I’d share. This is for you, Leon!
Whatchagotagainst religion?
😛 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-eJSHoH9Fs
Merry your money Christmas!
Top 10 money stories of 2014
A top ten list that will help vault President Great Obama near the top among all past presidents in years to come ~ The stories below is why Americans are feeling good about their wallets/purses and why Americans Are Spending A Whopping $704.18 On Gifts This Year.
http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/22/news/top-money-stories-2014/
1. Oil prices plunge. The huge decline in oil prices is great for U.S. consumers. The price of gas tumbled along with oil(fantastic news for most Americans though Foxnews says otherwise).
2. The bull keeps raging. This year was more volatile on Wall Street than 2013. But investors rolled with the punches and stocks appear headed for another year of solid gains.
The Dow and S&P 500 routinely hit new record highs. And the Nasdaq is closing in on the 5,000 mark, a level it last hit in March 2000.
4. We all got hacked.
5. The job market springs back to life. The U.S. economy finally gained back all the jobs that were lost during the Great Recession.
There were 2.3 million jobs added through the first 11 months of the year, making 2014 the best year for job gains since 1999. And the unemployment rate stood at 5.8% — a six-year low. But there are still concerns about the number of people who have been out of work for an extended period of time.
6. Apple gets its mojo back.
7. The Fed gets ready to raise rates.
8. IP-Oh! And the return of merger mania
9. Inversion indigestion. Several U.S. companies, seeking to lower their corporate tax bills, bought companies in countries with more favorable tax rates. That angered politicians and led to new regulations from the White House to try and curb the use of these so called “inversions.”
10. Income inequality leads to global protests. Even though stocks are surging and the job market is healthier, many people on Main Street aren’t benefiting from the economic improvement.
Fast food workers in the United States staged several protests in an attempt to convince companies to pay them a living wage. Several cities wound up approving higher minimum wages, but nothing has changed at the federal level.
The income inequality debate was also a global phenomenon. Students in Hong Kong took to the streets to bring attention to the wide gap between the rich and the poor in a movement dubbed the Umbrella Revolution.”
Merry X-Mas Mr. Putin tweets Canada @ NATO
https://twitter.com/canadanato/status/545939806992080897
Mr. Putin’s X-Mas Card…
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-18/putin-gambled-on-russias-economy-ukraine-policy-and-lost
“In political terms, Russia’s financial meltdown has left Putin a shadow of his former swaggering self.
What’s different this time(from global economic crisis of 2008-09) however, are sanctions. Several months after the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions against individuals, companies, and certain economic sectors, in particular banks and the oil industry, the measures have had a much larger effect than policymakers envisioned.
International capital markets have all but shut down to Russian companies—a serious problem, considering the $700 billion in external debt they hold. Because of sanctions and the retreat of lenders, companies can’t extend or refinance existing debts by borrowing. As debts come due, companies are paying them off, putting further downward pressure on the ruble as borrowers sell rubles to get dollars to cover the debts. Similarly, much of Russia’s projected $125 billion of capital flight this year is money flowing out to repay those loans coming due.
The combination of falling oil prices and a depreciating ruble puts a drag on state finances at a time when budget revenues are already under threat. The Kremlin will let some companies default on their debts, but surely not all; this will cost the state a big chunk of those billions in reserves. And playing favorites is no way to run a sensible monetary policy:
…The government has frozen salaries for state workers, which in effect means their real salaries are decreasing. Putin may soon see how much of the loyalty to his system was effectively bought and paid for, and therefore how fragile it is once the spigot begins to slow or is shut off.”
On this day long ago, a child was born who, by age 30, would transform the world. Happy Birthday Isaac Newton. b. 25 Dec., 1642.
Civilian caught wearing an Army uniform:
http://video.foxnews.com/v/3960660489001/stolen-valor-caught-on-camera/?#sp=show-clips
I see Chinese/Korean construction workers working on the expansion on Humphreys wearing ACUs with no badges or insignia, so I guess that makes it ok?
Grinch hackers struck today! 🙁
The kids couldn’t get our new X box one to work online until this evening.
Andy, I’m not sure what you’re getting at. People (former soldiers, civilians, etc.) have always worn military uniform items for various reasons (cheap, durability, fashion, etc.). It is obvious when someone is attempting to impersonate a soldier vs. just wearing uniform item(s). Although, I have to admit, some of the stolen valor punks do it so poorly, they might get the benefit of the doubt. 😀
/even though AR 670-1 is available online
//some folks don’t even try
They put on appropriate badges and insignia when they slip away from the work crew to take pictures, survey infrastructure for weaknesses, calculate precise coordinates, replace components in communication system access points, install various beacons, conceal RF relays and broadband jammers, aim laser ears at important windows…
…all the usual things done by unsupervised North Korean and Chinese-inflatrated work crews while “leadership” frets that some 20 year and 10 month-old guy might have had a beer downtown.
CH. LOL – I’ve never seen a Korean working on post, DPW or what have you, who would be able to pass as anything other than what he is, even with all the appropriate badges and insignia. I do agree that in all likelihood China and the norK’s use, or have used, on post workers to gather intel. I have no doubt that every building on most installations has been paced off pretty precisely. I don’t really think they need to go to the trouble anymore, or at least not at the previous scale, with human assets. China has spy satellites and other means of electronics monitoring, in all its flavors.
He did fraudulently get a 20% discount on his coffee. The cop they called should have put him in a chokehold.
THIS JUST IN!
You were all right. Oh why, WHY didn’t I listen? Obama has crowned himself dictator for life photographic evidence – http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-breaks-cardinal-presidential-rule-donning-tiara/story?id=27821433
Leon,
“I’ve never seen a Korean working on post, DPW or what have you, who would be able to pass as anything other than what he is”
Of course not. You never noticed the ones who were passing…
…Spycraft 101 meets Logic 101.
In Spycraft 102, they teach advanced techniques like Looking Like It Would Be Impossible To Pass As Anything Other Than What You Are Until You Do.
PS.
You can take the brother out of the hood but you can’t take the hood out of the brother. Even Obama can’t get away from showin’ off hos and bling while living in public housing.
…but our Gay Kenyan Sociialist Muslim-in-Chief Dictator For Life does cut a dashing crossdressing pimpdaddy figure in a tiara while surrounded by underage white biitches.
.
North Korea was NOT behind the Sony hack according to multiple security experts who discredit FBI findings and reveal that a studio insider named ‘Lena’ may be responsible
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2887081/North-Korea-NOT-Sony-hack-according-multiple-security-experts-discredit-FBI-findings-reveal-insider-named-Lena-responsible.html
Of course not. You never noticed the ones who were passing…
Bullshit.It’s simply unnecessary because we have KATUSA’s.
My present to all of you!
http://boeinghazi.com/
Study it out!
Leon, you rock!!!
I’m not a hundred percent that the Benghazi/MH370 link played out exactly like they say. I think they really downplayed or underestimated Michelle’s involvement.
But I really want to thank you for the link because one of their advertizes offers .999 pure copper rounds and bullion.
While the One Percent secures their assets in gold, silver, and even platinum, this is unaffordable to the common man such as myself. For this reason, I am really happy to be offered an affordable investment in the physical metals market which allows me the same opportunities as the ruling elite without the large requirement for entry capital.
And, of course, as an historically strategic metal that is used in countless products across a vast number of industries, you cannot go wrong with a stockpile of investment-grade copper ingots in the gun safe.
As a reminder, I should recommend that it is foolish to put all your eggs in one basket. While copper is a fantastic investment opportunity with the possibility to offer a greater long-term return than even anything produced by the Franklin Mint, it is advisable to acquire other metals to round out your investment portfolio.
Next, I will be buying investment-grade aluminum and tin. Instead of ingots, sheet forms are much preferable for their ability to not only act as a world-class investment but also to block the rays.
Happy investing!
LIZ My oldest son just showed me this video, thought I’d share. This is for you, Leon!
Whatchagotagainst religion?
Sorry for the wait Liz. I hope you had a Merry Christmas.
Anyhoo, couldn’t stomach the video. Immediately started out as rap and/or one of the flavors of ultimate fighting, neither of which I have no patience for.
As far as the second part; golly gee, it’s hard to scratch the surface. There are so many things. Luckily I found this. It certainly isn’t all inclusive though.
http://www.atheist-meme.com/why-do-you-atheists-hate-religion.php
Starting on their next launch (about 6 or 7 January), SpaceX will be testing a new trick throughout the year — trying to recover the booster rockets from a mission launches by landing them on a barges at sea!